


ShinyZango's The Nutcracker - Are You Kitten Me?

by LionessGamer



Category: Nußknacker und Mausekönig | Nutcracker and the Mouse King - E. T. A. Hoffmann, Shinyzango's The Nutcracker
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluffiness, Kittens, LITERALLY, THEY PLAY, The Nutcracker, shinyzango
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 03:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13802214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LionessGamer/pseuds/LionessGamer
Summary: Hans and Clara stop at a small town to resupply before they begin their journey up the mountains. However, while waiting for Clara to finish shopping, Hans has some surprise company.





	ShinyZango's The Nutcracker - Are You Kitten Me?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [ShinyZango's The Nutcracker](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/359880) by ShinyZango. 



> This is a cute gift to ShinyZango and all her fans before I start the Angst Train.
> 
> Enjoy!

The high noon sun shined brightly down on the land, giving to it light and color. The white peaks of the mountains reflected pure white in its light, glistening amongst the world’s array of colors.

Flowers of all varieties were blooming en mass at the mountains’ feet, one field nearly surrounding the quaint, little town nestled before the towering peaks.

It was a lovely sight, Hans had to admit. It almost made him forget all the trouble and danger lurking out there, waiting to jump out. It almost made him forget his own troubles, just for a moment.

Almost.

Hans sighed, leaning more heavily against the tree by the road, just outside of town. He was waiting for Clara to come back, posting guard beside their recently-bought supplies (heh). The young girl had forgotten to get a few things and had run back into town to fetch them. She had assured him that she would only be away for a minute.

But a minute was enough time to be left alone with his thoughts.

Eyeing the nearest mountain, he couldn’t help but worry about the crossing they were about to attempt. Even when taking the main roads, the climb could be dangerous. Steep cliffs, severely dropping temperatures, and possible avalanches could spell doom for anyone on a good day. It didn’t help that there were most likely rats slinking around up there, watching for their passage.

His darkening thoughts took another turn as he lifted his arm up, staring at the up-turned palm of his hand.

Too large. Not enough fingers. Wooden.

Hans clenched his eyes shut and dropped his hand, no longer wanting to see the evidence of his curse. His head made a hollow *thunk* sound as he leaned it back against the tree’s trunk. He winced at the noise, his mood worsening.

_Mew!_

Startled out of his thoughts, Hans’ eyes reopened. He looked around, confused by the sudden sound.

“Hm?” He hummed curiously as he searched for the source.

_Meow!_

At the second sound, he looked down at his feet, having failed to notice before that there was creature rubbing up against his left leg.

Big, blue eyes stared back up at him from a dark face, the cat’s white body moving back and forth as it rubbed its face and side against his wooden leg over and over again. After recovering from his initial surprise, Hans smiled down at the feline, a part of him overjoyed at the sudden, friendly encounter.

He had always had a soft spot for cats.

“Well, hello there.” At his greeting, the cat let out another meow. Rising up on its hind legs, it reached up and pawed at Hans’ leg, meowing again for more attention.

Hans hesitated, looking down at his large hands nervously. But the insistent calls and fluffy appearance won out and Hans carefully bent over to place a hand on the cat’s head, petting it gently.

The white cat immediately pushed its face against his hand, purring loud enough for him to hear. Hans grinned, very carefully scratching the cat behind its ears.

“Well, you’re a big sweetheart, aren’t you?” The cat meowed happily in response, clearly enjoying the nutcracker’s attention. Hans continued to pet the purring feline, pleased at the cat’s friendliness towards him. However, he couldn’t help but wish he could actually feel the soft coat of fur under his stroking fingers. That definitely put a damper on his elation.

Abruptly, the cat broke away from his hand, moving its head to the side to stare into the brushes a few feet away. Before Hans could move or speak, the cat took off, soon disappearing into the brushes that separated the town from the open fields.

“Oh . . . okay then. Bye.” Hans found himself disappointed at the cat’s leaving, surprised that he had enjoyed its company so much. Straightening back up, he once again leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms as best he could.  He closed his eyes. It was back to waiting for Clara and trying not to let his worries get the best of him.

However, he was only alone for a moment before he heard meowing again.

Only this time, he could hear more of them. Confused, his eyes opened once more and he turned his head back to look back at the bushes. He froze solid against the tree.

“Oh. Oh gosh . . .”

What he saw warmed whatever sort of heart remained in his chest.

The friendly cat was back, but it . . . she . . . was not alone. Dangling with her jaws was a snow-white kitten, completely limp as she carried it towards him. Even more white, puffy kittens followed behind her, jumping and pouncing on the grass as they tried to keep up with their mother. Hans counted seven in all.

Hans watched in amazement as the mother cat stopped in front of him, placing her first kitten down at his feet. Once released, the kitten jumped away, joining its brothers and sisters as they frolicked around the nutcracker.

“They’re . . . they’re adorable.” Hans said in wonderstruck whisper as he watched the kittens play fight with each other and chase hidden grasshoppers.

Hans didn’t know what to do. A part of him was thrilled, wanting to watch them all day and maybe even hold some of them. However, a bigger, more cautious part of him kept him back, as some of the kittens were getting too close to his large, hardwood feet. All sorts of worries entered his mind as the kittens came closer and closer.

One wrong move and he could step on one. One misstep with his clumsy body and he could toppled over, crushing them beneath his heavy body. He shivered at the images.

“Hans!”

A joyous cry jolted him out of his fearful imaginings, his head snapping up to see his dear friend, Clara, standing a few feet away from him. She had spotted the kittens and was gawking at them and the nutcracker with a look of absolute delight.

“Oh Hans, they’re adorable!” She looked at him with shining eyes, her face the definition of joy. With the wind blowing through her hair and ruffling her newly designed clothes, Hans found himself blushing at the sight of her, now nervous for a whole other reason. He gulped a bit before speaking.

“Y-Yeah, they are.” He answered dumbly. He mentally kicked himself for the lame response, but Clara didn’t seem to mind.

The young girl slowly approached the cat family, not wanting to frighten them. She watched the mother, hoping she would not get defensive of her offspring.

To her delight, the grown cat gave no signs of aggression and calmly crouched in the grass amongst her children, watching the woman.

One kitten came closer to the girl and Clara, after dropping to her knees and taking off her bag, reached out to pet the small cat. She smiled brightly when the kitten leaned against her hand, enjoying the massage. Hans observed Clara, watching her play with the kitten as a soft smile shaped his lips. He perked up when Clara let out a gasp of surprise.

“Oh, I know what they are!” Hans gave her a look of confusion. They were cats, obviously. He was pretty sure everyone knew what a cat was.

“Huh?” Clara looked up at him, her eyes sparkling as she gave him a wide smile. Hans’ breath hitched, blush returning.

“They’re Ragdolls!” Clara’s overjoyed exclamation threw Hans through a loop of utter confusion. Completely baffled, Hans looked between the playing kittens and his dearest friend.

“Um, Clara? I’m, uh, pretty sure these are kittens.” He spoke unsurely, not knowing exactly what Clara was talking about. The young woman looked back at him, puzzled, before her eyes widened and she blushed, embarrassed.

“N-no! No, no, no, Hans! I’m sorry! I meant their breed! These are Ragdoll cats!” Hans ducked his head down in his own embarrassment, feeling foolish for not realizing. Rubbing the back of his head, he let out a sheepish “Oh.”

Both fell silent as Clara continued to stroke the kitten, its mother coming over to sit next to her. Feeling that the silence needed to be filled, Hans questioned Clara as she pet the mother’s head.

“Sooooo, why are they called Ragdolls?” Clara looked back up, a smile returning to her face, before she tenderly picked up her kitten. She then gently flipped the kitten onto its back in her hands and both watched as the little life went limp in her hands, leaning back to lull its upper body over the edge of her palm. Delighted, Clara smiled back up at Hans.

“Because when you pick them up, they like to go limp. Like a ragdoll!” Carefully, she rolled the kitten onto its side in her hold. It remained limp, letting the girl’s movements dictate the positions of its limbs.

Hans regarded the demonstration with wonder and amusement, chuckling a bit at the sight. Clara then put down the kitten and gently picked up the mother, the adult feline giving no protest. It was when the mother cat started doing the same act as her kitten that Hans started full-on laughing.

“You-You’re not kidding!” Hans chuckled. Clara’s expression lit up at his laughter and she slowly stood up to approach him, careful of the kittens rolling around at her feet. The mother cat remained perched in her arms, purring contently. Cat in hand, she grinned mischievously up at the nutcracker.

“I never **_kit_ ** when kittens are involved!” Clara laughed at the drain of emotion from Hans, his face going blank.

“Really? A pun?” Clara laughed even harder at his unamused tone of voice. He didn’t fool her. She could see that twinkle in his eyes. She continued on, resisting her laughter so she could speak clearly. She tilted her head with a cheeky smile.

“I couldn’t resist. It was too **_purr_** -fect to pass up.” Hans snorted. With careful footsteps mindful of the kittens, he pushed off the tree and moved towards the road, pretending that he was about to leave.

“Alright. You can stop now.” Snickering, Clara set Momma Cat back on her feet and followed after Hans.

“Oh, but Hans! They’re so **_cat-_** chy.” Hans suddenly spun around, startling the girl chasing after him.

“ _Clara._ ” His voice was stern and his expression was strict. For a moment, Clara thought she had crossed a line, but the up-turn twitch of his lips and the amused sparkle in his eyes kept her happiness from fading.

“. . .” With a pout, Clara said nothing. Hans watched as she turned her back on him, walking up to the nearest kitten. Bending down to pet it, she not-so-silently whispered to the cat.

“Someone’s not **_feline_** very **_punny_** today.”

Clara jumped, the closest kittens running away, when Hans threw his hands up into the air with a shout.

“That’s it!” He charged at her, his hat flying off from the speed. A wicked smile was curled on his face. Clara screamed in mock fright, spinning around and sprinting off towards town.

However, she didn’t get very far. Hans’ sprint easily overtook hers and his arms encircled her from behind. Clara shrieked in laughter as Hans spun her around, laughing himself.

“Hans! *giggle* Let me go!” Hans kept her close to his chest, his arms locked around her as he smiled past her hair in his face.

“Are you going to stop now?” Clara struggled at his request, kicking her legs in the air as she tried to wiggle out of his hold.

“Ne- ** _purr_**!” She laughed. However, both of them stopped dead a second after her latest pun. Despite the smile still present on his face, Hans gave her an unimpressed glance.

“Really, Clara, that one was beyond terrible . . .” Clara sagged in his arms, prompting him to lower her onto her feet. She grimaced a little, then turned around in Hans’ arms. She gave him an apologetic smile.

“Yeah, after saying it out loud, I think you might be right.” She laughed good-naturedly, but the laughter soon petered off, her expression becoming troubled. She lowered her gaze to stare at her hands, placed upon the nutcracker’s chest. Her smile grew small.

“Sorry about all the puns . . . I guess . . . Fritz must have rubbed off on me.” Hans looked down at her in concern, confused by her sudden change in mood. He lowered his head a bit, trying to see her eyes again.

“Your brother?” He asked, remembering when she had told him about her family. Clara nodded her head, biting her lip.

“Yes . . .” Her sad tone struck a cord in him, making him wince. He could easily guess what had caused the abrupt change now. He gave a small sigh.

“Clara . . .” Withdrawing one arm from around her, he lifted his hand to the bottom of her chin, pulling her face to his. It hurt him to see her with those sad eyes. It filled him with a powerful need to reassure her, to sweep the sadness away. The poor girl had made herself homesick.

“Clara, I promise you . . . you will see your family again . . . I’ll make sure of it.” He could hear the determination entering his own voice, feel it rising within him. For this girl, he would do anything. He would ensure that she was reunited with her family, no matter what. Clara deserved all he could give for all she had been through for him, for all she was to him.

 Clara gazed up at Hans with surprised, tearful eyes. Then she smiled, wiping away her tears before they could fall. It always amazed her just how selfless and kind Hans could be. She had not known him long, but already he was a better man than any she had met before. He always made her feel better, made her feel safe. She felt her heart swell with affection for this wonderful man.

Looking back up at him, her eyes met his as a grateful smile moved her lips.

“Thank you, Hans . . . for everything.” She suddenly launched herself forward and hugged him, her arms tight around his neck and her face buried in its crook. Hans was stunned for a moment, not expecting the reaction, before tighten his arms around her as well, cheek pressed against the side of her head. Both closed their eyes and settled, just enjoying the comfort and peace of each other’s embrace.

_Meeeeeee!_

A squeaky meow and a thump against Clara’s boot broke the moment. Both leaned away from each other a bit to look down at Clara’s side.

One of the small kittens had followed them and had started to climb up Clara’s right boot, claws digging into the thick leather as it begged for attention. Clara giggled at the insistent kitten and released Hans to gently pry the little climber from her leg.

Releasing the girl from his own embrace, the nutcracker nearly pouted at her stolen attention. However, the sight of her nuzzling the small kitten happily, her good mood returned, only caused a burst of warmth in his chest.

After giving the nutcracker a pleased smile, the girl set off back to the tree, where the other kittens were still playing around their mother under the shade. Hans followed after her a bit before making a small detour to retrieve his fallen hat. Hat in hands, he walked back to the tree, but stopped before he could enter much of its shade. He watched the kitten minefield nervously as Clara expertly avoided the rolling kittens to reach their supplies, setting her retrieved bag down with them. She glanced back at him, expecting him to be coming over. She was confused to find him standing still several feet away, worry written all over his face.

“Hans?” She called to him. He glanced up at her for a moment before his eyes fell back to the little balls of life playing in the shade, conflicted.

“Hans, what’s wrong?” The nutcracker’s eyes shot back up to her, shaking his head in denial.

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong! I just . . .” He looked down at his hat, clutched in his hands. He looked up slightly to regard the kittens, watching the fluffy furballs playing and resting in the tree’s shade.

“I don’t want to hurt them.”

Clara’s eyes widened, finally understanding the tenseness he had around the cats. Putting the kitten down beside its resting mother, she walked up to the nervous nutcracker with a soft smile. Taking the hat from his hands, she grabbed his hand in hers.

“Come here.” She ordered softly as she began to pull the man through the mess of kittens. Hans panicked.

“Clara, I don’t think—“ The girl gave him a scolding look with a smile on her face.

“Sssshhh, you!” Hans shut his mouth and let her lead him to the tree’s base. Clara then settled him against the tree, pushing him to sit down.  With some stumbling, he sat down amongst the tree roots, anxiously watching Clara place his hat beside him and turn to the tangle of kitten before them.

Gently picking up two of the closest, she turned back to Hans and slowly sat down beside him, the mother cat laying between them. She lifted the kittens into his lap. Hans’ body reacted immediately, his hands held out to take them despite his reluctance.

Gingerly, he held them in his lap with curled fingers, palms put together. His hands were large enough for both kittens to move around a bit, one peeking over his fingers to view the others. The other looked up at Hans with its big, crystal-blue eyes, meowed, and then started to climb his arm. With a bit of panic, the hand no longer occupied by a kitten quickly grabbed the climber around its middle and carefully deposited it on the grass between his legs. It wasn’t long before the kitten was too interested with a small ladybug to try climbing the nutcracker again. A nervous chuckle escaped the man as he watched the kitten chase the bug under the bend of his knee. He held the remaining kitten close to his chest, afraid it would fall despite the very short distance to the ground. The white ball of fluff then decided that Hans’ hand was a good place to rest, yawning then curling up in the middle of his palm. Clara smiled at the sight, then caught Hans’ eye.

“You see? They’re not scared of you at all!” Hans smiled back at her, finally relaxing. He ran a few fingers along the kitten’s back, getting a few purrs in return. Another kitten had come into their space and Clara happily picked it up to cuddle it in her arms. It was then that Hans looked up and saw that the other four kittens had decided to take their play to them. They pounced along his and Clara’s legs, using them as a sort of playground.

Before long, all seven kittens were crawling all over them, playing with anything they could find. The kittens that they had held in their hands had jumped ship the moment the others joined them. But that did not mean there were no kittens crawling in their laps or climbing on their outstretched legs.

The traveling pair found themselves enjoying the energetic little puff balls. Clara was laughing at a pair of them wrestling in the grass when Hans saw movement in the corner of his eye. Looking down at his side, he saw that his hat had been knocked over and one kitten had darted inside, the hat sliding a bit across the grass from the force.

“Hey! What are you doing in there?” Hans laughed, but he saw that another kitten had noticed the movement as well and was getting ready to pounce on the hat’s feather ornament. He snatched the hat away before it could, mindful of the kitten inside.

Looking inside, Hans found a pair of blue orbs staring back out at him. A series of meows sounded from the trapped kitten. Hans chuckled and Clara, who was now watching, giggled at the cute sight.

“Alright, alright! I’ll let you out! Just don’t go wondering into people’s stuff again, alright?” the nutcracker lowered the hat to the ground between his legs, slowly tipping it to roll the ball of fur out. The little cat tumbled out and sat in the grass, shaking itself. After a moment, it got up and walked away, unaffected. Hans chuckled again and had placed his hat down when something hit his shoulder. Looking back to his side, he found another kitten, this one trying to jump up and catch the fringes of his right epaulette.

“Oh, come on guys!” He laughed as he gently picked up the kitten before it could jump again.

“Can you stop playing with what’s left of my outfit?” Both the two-leggers laughed as Hans put this kitten down as well. Momentarily free of exploring paws, he let himself lean back against the tree and close his eyes, completely relaxed. He listened to the cute meows all around him and the soft coos coming from Clara as she used some spare ribbon as a toy for the kittens. For once, everything felt so . . . relaxing and carefree.

What he would give to feel like this every day.

“Sasha?” A voice suddenly spoke up from a small distance away, somewhere in front of them. Hans opened his eyes to see one of the shop owners that they had traded with earlier. The middle-aged woman stared at them in astonishment before breaking out into a huge smile.

“Sasha!” Before either Hans or Clara could react, the mother cat between them got up and trotted towards the woman, letting out a long meow. The woman fell to her knees as the cat approached her and gathered the cat up in her arms the moment she reached her.

“Oh, my darling! I thought you were gone for good!” The woman cuddled the cat close, petting the cat’s head the whole time. With a few tears in her brown eyes, she looked up at the kittens in the grass ahead of her.

“And you’ve had kittens! You little devil!” She ruffled the fur along the cat’s back, grinning in sheer joy. Standing up with the mother in her arms, she approached the kittens and looked up at the two travelers among them.

“How . . . how did you two possibly find them?” Hans pushed himself up to his feet before answering the woman.

“Well, actually, she sort of just came up to me. Then she brought her kittens out to me.” The woman blinked, shocked at the news.

“Really? How strange. Sasha has never been so friendly to strangers before.” Hans become confused. Sasha didn’t seem capable of not being friendly. The woman saw his expression and shook her head, putting Sasha down amongst her babies.

“Don’t get me wrong! She’s a real sweetheart, but she’s very cautious of strangers. It usually takes her a few days to get used to someone.” She looked down, watching the baby cats jumping around.

“And she brought her kittens to you as well! She’s being very trusting with you.” She rested her elbow in her hand, hand to her mouth in thought.

“This is very strange, given what’s been happening to her kind.” Even more confused, Hans looked over his shoulder at Clara. The girl shrugged back, confused as well.

“What do you mean?” Clara asked, holding the kitten in her hands close. A part of her knew it probably wasn’t something good. The woman looked at them both in surprise.

“You don’t know?” At the shaking of both their heads, the brunette sighed.

“For the past few years, the mice have been raiding villages and homes. In these raids, they tend to destroy whatever or whoever they don’t like.” Both her listeners tensed, not at all liking where she was going. The woman looked up at them, tone serious and gloomy.

“They do not like cats.”

Horrified, Clara reacted by hugging her kitten closer. She resisted the urge to gather up all the other kittens as well in an attempt to protect them from the unseen enemy. Hans stood frozen in front of her, disbelief and anger decorating his expression. He looked down at the cats around him, helpless to the conjured image of them laying slaughtered at his feet. His teeth gritted together.

Heedless to his anger, the woman crouched down, petting Sasha as the cat purred in delight.

“I hadn’t seen Sasha in months. I feared the mice had gotten her, and I prayed every day that she was merely hiding somewhere safe.” She straightened back up, giving them a delighted smile.

“And my prayers have been answered! Here she is, alive and well! And with a family too!” She approached the nutcracker, careful of the little lives underfoot. Hans’ anger simmered down at the woman’s relieved expression.

“Despite all the danger, she has finally come out of hiding . . . to greet you!” She smiled up at him as the nutcracker stared at her in puzzlement. The woman nodded her head and hummed, sure of her thoughts.

“It must be a good sign.” Clara stood up with kitten in hand, coming to Hans’ side with a question on her tongue.

“Of what?” She asked, stroking her kitten when it meowed in protest at her pausing. The woman smiled at her, a bit embarrassed as she scratched the side of her head.

“I’m not sure exactly, but I’ve learned that animals can be far more attentive then us. Maybe she sees something in you two . . . or maybe there’s a change in the air.” She shook her head, still smiling.

“Either way, I’m certain it’s a good thing. And no matter if you found her or she found you, intention or not, I must thank you for bringing her back to me! She has been precious to me since she was a small kitten curled up in my hands!” She grabbed Hans’ hands and shook them in gratitude.

Hans smiled, blushing a bit in nervousness.

“Um, you’re welcome, but I can definitely tell you that she’s the one who found me!” the woman smiled back and looked over at Clara as well.

“Be that as it may, she clearly has trust in you both, despite her nature. I would accept that as a sign of better days to come. And maybe then, cats can run around happy and carefree like this once again.” All three of them looked down at the new lives, running and jumping and rolling around in the grass together. Sasha lay amongst them, sunning herself as some of her kittens jumped on her and played with her tail. The precious sight brought a smile to every face and both Hans and Clara found themselves making a silent promise, a personal vow. Determination filled their bodies, pushing away so many doubts.

No more lives, be them human, doll, or cat, would be lost to the Mouse King’s horrid reign. For these precious lives, for the lives of hundreds more innocents, they are persevere. They would make it safe to play out in the open sun again. For all.

Suddenly, the mountains didn’t seem very intimating anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Ragdoll cats didn’t exist until the 1960s in the United States, but I couldn’t resist the name. So, for the sake of the fluffiness, let’s pretend it’s a much older and spread-out breed, okay? :P  
> And yes, the puns were totally a playful whack at ShinyZango. ENJOY GIRL! XD


End file.
